Fleetingly Yours
by XloveXconquersXallX
Summary: "I can't let you do this."-"If I need help, you'll know it."-"Boy troubles?"/You don't know the half of it. Hermioine's on the run with Ron and Draco, but her heart can only belong to one.
1. Defensively Yours

**(A/N-This is my first multi-chapter story. The idea is from a messed up dream that I had. I hope you guys like it!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, Voldemort would have a nose.**

**This story is for my angry little rain cloud, who heard it first. I love you!)**

**Ch. 1- Defensively Yours**

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Why the bloody hell not, 'Mione? What do you have against hotels?" Ron nearly screeched, his face as red as his hair. His blue eyes bloodshot, freckles even more prominent on his face. His lanky figure cast a tall shadow in the early light of dawn.

"It's not the hotel, Ron. I just think it's too conspicuous, a trio of wizards in a muggle hotel," I said, exasperated with my friend. Looking into a puddle beside me, I took in my own unkempt reflection. My eyes were red, and my bushy hair was even more disheveled than ever, sticking out at odd angles.

"But there's a _shower_!" Ron whined.

"I want a shower just as much as you do, but I'm not going to put us all in danger to get it."

"Come on! Just one night!"

"What do you think, Draco? Do you think we should risk it?" I looked sideways at a frail, lifeless looking man. His platinum blond hair had dulled to a nearly transparent white. His skin, what used to be a delicate ivory, was now deathly pale. The angles in his face were sharper, his cheekbones most of all. Haggard with dark bags under his stormy eyes, Draco Malfoy did not even resemble the healthy, glowing boy he was just mere months ago. Looking up at me with sullen eyes, he mumbled a practically incoherent "yes" and quickly looked away.

"We've all had a long night, and frankly, I want to get some rest." Finally getting what he wanted, Ron eagerly checked us into a lovely suite. Together, Ron and I helped Draco into the lift, though rather unwillingly on Ron's part. Once we were in our room, we set him on the couch. Ron then made a mad dash for the shower, while I watched Draco silently. He didn't say anything, but I think he knew I was watching him. He just lay there, staring vacantly at the ceiling. His dirty, scarred hands rested in his lap.

_It was the night of the rescue, nearly midnight according to the position of the moon. The Order didn't expect them to attack us. Oh, no. Shacklebolt said the Death Eaters were too weak to even try and defend their prison. He was wrong. The rescue team had breezed through their defenses and led the hostages to the Portkey that had been set up. Half way there, we were met by the remaining Dark Forces. The battle was long, many died, even more injured. We knew we had no choice but to surrender._

_"Hermione! Go! I'll hold them off!"Harry screamed while dodging an incoming Killing Curse._

_"No! Harry! I won't leave you!"_

_"I'll be fine! Take Draco and get the bloody hell out of here!"_

_"Come with us! Please!" I begged him. I couldn't leave my best friend._

_"It'll be okay! Trust me!"I looked into his blazing, emerald eyes, tears streaked down his grimy face. _

_"I do, Harry! Be careful!" Just as I said that, I clutched the broken form of Draco Malfoy and half-dragged, half-carried him towards the nearest Apparition point. Catching Ron eye, I waved him over with us. _

A deep moan from Ron, who was sprawled on the bed, brought me back to the present. He looked significantly cleaner but still thin and worn. I jumped up from the couch and quickly went to the bathroom for a long, hot shower. After drying myself off and getting dressed, I left the steamy loo. Upon entering the bedroom again, I heard the quiet sounds of the telly.

_"…threaten the well-being of citizens. Officers do not know what to make of all the sudden-"_

"I'll tell them what to make of it! The Death Eaters are behind it!"

"Ron, she can't hear you."

"Right, sorry. So, what now?"

"Draco still needs to clean himself up, but after that I say we all get some well needed rest." I looked over at the couch to see him watching me.

"You can't make me. I won't do it, Granger." Malfoy looked up at me with a haunted look in his troubled, grey eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

"You can't make me touch that. Don't do this to me." He now held his head in his hands, murmuring to himself.

"Malfoy, you have to bathe. You're covered in dirt. Get in that shower." I pointed to the bathroom with a hand on my hip.

"No! You don't know what they've done to me, Granger! I'd rather die than feel that again! Don't put me through that torture! Please." He looked really desperate. His eyes flashed and darkened. His face was so pained that I knew he was mentally reliving his anguish.

"I don't know what they did to you while you were captured, but you have to shower! I'll drag you in there and wash you myself, if I have to!" I glared at him. Ron, meanwhile, was watching our argument with narrowed eyes.

"No. Please."

"You'll be fine. What ever they did to you back there can't hurt you know. I promise." He stared at my face closely and nodded his head, submitting to my demand. I walked over and helped him into the tub.

" 'Mione? Can I talk to you for a second?" I walked outside and made my way over to the bed that Ron was laying on.

"Yes, Ronald?"

"What are you doing? Washing _Malfoy?_"

"Well, I thought it was painfully obvious that he is unable to do it himself!"

"Hermione, are you mental? He's a Death Eater. Why did you even save him anyways?" He got up from the bed and stood to his full height, which towered over me. He frowned down at me with his arms crossed.

"_Former_ Death Eater. He changed sides and became a spy, which you seem to have forgotten. And I saved him because he's innocent. He hasn't done anything to harm or endanger us since he became a turncoat."

"Look at him! He's mentally unstable! I'm sorry, 'Mione, but I can't let you do this. It's too dangerous." He grabbed my forearms, as if that would stop me.

"Too dangerous? He can't even walk without help! Besides, I can take care of myself." I stared up at him indignantly.

"Well, just be careful. 'Cause, you know, I worry about you." He looked down at me with such concern in his cerulean eyes; I almost agreed to leave Draco on his own. Mentally, I slapped myself. Ron does not control what I do, and who I do it to.

"I appreciate your concern, Ronald, but I can handle myself. And if I need help, you'll know it." I roughly pulled my arms out of his grasp and stomped my way to the bathroom, not once looking back.

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**Thanks for reading! What do you think? Review!**


	2. Sleepily Yours

**(A/N- And here's the second chapter! I want to say thanks to my best friend G.I. for helping me with this story so far.**

**Disclaimer: (Do I have to do this every chapter?) If I owned Harry Potter, Vernon Dursley's mustache would get so big, he would swallow it. **

**Ch. 2****- Sleepily Yours**

_Oh, Godric! Why did I offer to do this? _I thought to myself. Once inside the loo, I shut the door and turned to Draco. He looked to pale and tired, as if he was going to fall asleep any moment.

"Draco? Come on. You need to undress and get in the tub," I said, shaking his shoulders slightly.

"No… sleepy," he mumbled. His eyes were closed, and his body was relaxed. _He looks so peaceful. _I watched him for a second, waiting for him to do something. _And almost…cute. _I ran my hand through his dirty, white-blonde hair. It slid down the side of his face and cupped his cheek. His cheek was so soft and warm. Still, he did nothing, and it was obvious that he was nearly falling asleep.

"Come on! I have to get you into the bath. Draco!" When he didn't do anything, I grabbed a towel and ran it under cold water. After returning to Draco, I took the icy, wet towel and slapped it onto his face. He ripped the towel off, his eyes shot open in surprise.

"What the bloody hell was that for?" He shrieked. I held back a snigger and kept a completely straight face.

"You were falling asleep. I had to wake you up somehow," I stated simply, adding in an innocent shrug of my shoulders. Taking advantage of his shock, I got to work undressing him. Examining his shirt, I realized for the first time how tattered and frayed it was. Clearly, it was beyond hope for even magic to fix. I unbuttoned the remaining buttons, pulled it off his person, and discarded it on the floor. I felt his gaze on me, so I pointedly avoided looking at his bare chest while his shoes and socks came off. Instead, I focused on watching my fingers untie the laces to his trainers and removing his socks.

"Why are you taking my clothes off again?" I blushed and quickly jumped up to start the water in the bathtub.

"I'm trying to give you a bath! Now if you would just cooperate, we won't have to be in this position for long." I said to the wall, embarrassed.

"Merlin, Granger, I was only teasing," he said softly, but I could hear the smirk in his voice, but I refused to turn and face him.

"Well, it certainly seems that you're awake enough to wash yourself, so get to it! I'll be outside." Abruptly, I stood up and headed for the door.

"No need to get your knickers in a twist, Granger!" He called after me.

"At least my knickers are clean." I turned around and glared at him. He stared right back at me before a small, defeated look crossed his face. Draco looked away and sighed.

"I need your help. I can't do it on my own." My face softened. I couldn't keep glaring at him while he was so _vulnerable_.

"Of course, I'll help. Why else would I have offered in the first place?" I walked back over to him and began undoing his belt. Looking up at his face, I could tell he was trying to hold back a laugh.

"This is just too unreal." I could almost _hear_ the dirty thoughts in his mind. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Well, this is as far as I'm going," I said, pulling his pants off. "You can bathe with _your knickers_ on. Now, swing your legs over and get in the tub." He did as I requested and moaned when the hot water came in contact with his skin. For a few minutes, I just watched Draco sit in the tub. Then he peeked open an eye.

"Now, bathe me, slave!" He ordered, with an air of teasing arrogance that was completely uncalled for.

"Excuse me?" I narrowed my eyes, but, despite my annoyance at his command, I couldn't help but grin.

"I said, 'Bathe me!' Or are you not here to cater to my every whim? I wish to be clean! Make it so, wench!" He turned to me with a cheeky grin. I raised my eyebrow. The git had the _audacity_ to speak to me like that when he was in a state of complete exposure?

"Well, alright then, _Your Majesty._ Your wish is my command." His eyes were closed, so I took out my wand and, with a quick flourish of my wrist, began to hose him down with water. Once I thought I had sufficiently rinsed off all the dirt and blood, I stopped the spell and took in his sodden appearance. He pushed his hair off his forehead and spit out a trickle of water.

"You, you… pygmy puff! You drenched me!" He sputtered indignantly.

"Well, you're clean now, aren't you, Malfoy?" I quipped with a smirk. A look of disbelief appeared on his face, but it was quickly replaced with an evil smile. He slashed his hand across the surface of the water, effectively soaking me. Now my fresh, clean, _dry, _clothes were sopping wet. One look in the mirror showed that my hair was frizzing in all directions, which made me really look like a pygmy puff. Behind me, Draco was clutching his stomach as he laughed himself silly.

"Oh, Granger. You look like a wet dog!" He managed to get out before collapsing in guffaws again. I narrowed my eyes at him. After tying my hair up in a quick ponytail, I cast a drying charm on myself. Draco had finally calmed down, with the exception of the occasional snicker.

"Alright, Malfoy, time to get out. You need to get to sleep." I tossed him a towel and turned around while he wrapped it around himself. He stood up in the tub, and I helped him out, supporting his weight with my body. We walked into the bedroom, shutting the door behind us, to find Ron snoring obnoxiously on his bed.

"What about my clothes?" I looked up at him and almost laughed at the revolted look on his face.

"Sorry, Princess, but you're going to have to sleep without them tonight." I stifled a giggle.

"No! Granger! Get me some clothes! I'm not going to sleep _naked_ in the same _room_ as _Weasley_!" He whispered looking scandalized.

"Quit arguing or I'll just drop you off in his bed." He shut up after that. I let him down in the only other empty bed.

"Now get some sleep. Good night." I turned to leave, but his hand shot out to grab my wrist.

"Stay. At least until I fall asleep." I whipped around with a questioning look on my face.

"What? You're not wearing any clothes!"

"You don't have to get in bed with me, Granger. Unless you want to, that is." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. I lightly pushed his shoulder and sat on the bed next to him.

"You're a git, you know that?"

"So I've been told." He laid his head on the pillow and closed his eyes. "Stay with me?"

"Always." I ran my fingers through his hair comfortingly until his breathing evened out. I got up rather reluctantly and went to go clean up the bathroom. I opened the door and began letting out the water in the tub. Over the squelching of the water going down the drain, I heard faint whisper.

"_Stupefy." _And then I blacked out.

* * *

**And there was chapter two. That "Stay with me." "Always." moment is from _The __Hunger Games. _It is my absolute most favorite part in the entire trilogy! Thank you to those of you who reviewed! I hope this Draco/Hermioine chapter was adequate! (I am a Dramione shipper myself!) I think at the end of the story, I'll let the readers vote on who Hermione will be with because I honestly have no idea. I woke up before my dream could finish. Tell me what you think! Review.**

**-XloveXconquersXallX**


	3. Similarly Yours

**(A/N- Sorry for the late update! I've been so busy! And I've had writer's block! This story is mainly Hermione's point of view, but this chapter is almost like a little third person insight on what's happening without her. There's some out-of-character-ness, but I didn't know how else to write it! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, Professor Flitwick would have invented magical stilts and be able to juggle on them!)**

**Ch. 3- Similarly Yours**

The next morning, Ron Weasley awoke to silence. It was unfamiliar. Usually, Hermione would already be up bustling about. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked around the room. In the bed adjacent to his was the sleeping lump of Draco Malfoy. Scanning the rest of the hotel room, his eyes saw no signs of Hermione. _Maybe she's in the loo, _he thought. Sliding out of his warm bed, he padded over to the bathroom and listened for sounds of use. Nothing. He knocked on the door. "Hermione? Are you in there?" Still, he received no answer. _Did she fall asleep in the bathroom?_ he wondered._ Unlikely, but she's not anywhere else._ He took a deep breath and opened the door. It was empty. Panic began to rise in his chest. "Hermione! Where are you?" _Okay, _he thought, _she was here last night. Then… Then she went with Malfoy! I knew she shouldn't have helped him! That traitor! He must have done something to Hermione while I was asleep! How could I have left her alone? I'll kill him. _Ron ran out to Malfoy's bedside. He raised an arm and forcefully slapped Draco across the face. Draco shot up in surprise.

"Bloody hell, Weasley!" He brought his hand up to his red cheek and gently probed it.

"What did you do to her? Where is she?" Ron demanded angrily. His face was red as a tomato. His hands quickly found their way to his hips.

"What are you talking about? Where is who?" Draco asked. His brows furrowed in confusion.

"You know who! Hermione! She's gone! What did you do to her? Answer me!" Ron slapped Malfoy's other cheek and grabbed his shoulders, shaking them for emphasis.

"Weasley! Get off me! I have no idea where she is!" Draco pushed the other boy off him and stood up.

"Liar! You called your little Death Eater friends to kidnap her! You knew she would fall for your helpless act! Now she's gone!" His face ablaze with anger, Ron whipped out his wand and pressed it against Malfoy's throat. Draco's eyes narrowed as he glared at the redhead. He, too, took out his wand and slammed Ron against the wall.

"You've got it all wrong, Weasley. Now listen and listen well. I would _never_ hurt Hermione. _Ever._ I don't know what happened to her, but I can assure you that I had nothing to do with it. You have no right to accuse me of _anything,_ Weasley. You don't know me. You don't know what my life was like. You don't know what I've been through, what I've sacrificed. I had to leave my mother with those sick murderers. You have no idea what it's like to be me. You wouldn't last a day in my shoes, so don't judge me." He shoved Ron again and let go, causing Ron to slowly slide to the ground. Draco turned away and ran a hand through his straight, platinum hair. Ron got to his feet and glared murderously at him.

"No, Malfoy. _You_ don't know what _I've_ been through. You don't know what it's like to have so many people you know and love die right in front of your eyes. And then have even more of them get hurt or captured. You don't know how much it hurts. To feel like it's all your fault, like if you could have been there, if you could have been stronger or better, you could have saved them. I can't lose anyone else. I don't even know if Harry's alright. He's my best mate, and now Hermione's gone, too." Draco stared at him with such intensity in his grey eyes that Ron looked away.

"I don't want to lose her either." Draco muttered quietly. Ron looked up. "I care about her. A lot. Granger was the only one who trusted me, and at the time, that meant so much. She put our past behind us and let me in. She's the first real friend I've ever had, and I'll never forget that." Malfoy's stare had fixated itself out the window. It seemed to Ron almost as if Malfoy thought that if he stared hard enough, all the answers would appear, written in the clouds. Neither realized that what had been a heated accusation turned into a heartfelt exchange of feelings.

"Hermione's always been there for me. Ever since we met in our first year. She's smart, beautiful, endearing. It took awhile to realize, but I think I really love her." Ron blushed, embarrassed to be so open about his emotions to Malfoy, and it seemed clear that Malfoy was not unperturbed either. Draco cleared his throat awkwardly.

"As _touching_ as this has been, Weasley, I think we really ought to be making a plan on how to find Granger. My guess would be that the Death Eaters took her to the Manor. Then they'll figure out what to do with her from there." Ron raised an eyebrow but nodded.

"Yeah, you're right. We have to do whatever it takes to get her back, or I'll never forgive myself." Ron and Draco looked at each other. Their eyes met, silver on sapphire. They came to an unspoken understanding. They both cared a great deal about Hermione. They both would do anything to get her back. Their argument set aside for now, both boys would put their heads together and rescue Hermione.

After hours and hours of preparation, they finally had a decent plan. Tomorrow, they would go to the Malfoy Manor and get Hermione back, no matter the cost. Ron and Draco agreed that they would get a good night's rest and leave first thing tomorrow morning. Nodding good night to each other, they both got into their respective beds and tried to sleep. The room was quiet with only the sounds of their breathing. The last thought Ron had before drifting off was that, _Maybe Malfoy and I aren't so different after all._

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**Oooh, Ron confesses his feelings! When will Draco sum up the courage to admit his own? Will he ever? Does he even _have_ feelings to admit? I don't know. Later in the story, I think I'll put up a poll. The ending is up to you. And I'm not sure why the Death Eaters didn't take Ron and Draco, too. I think it was because they wanted to set up a romantic rescue scene. I'm also thinking about writing another James/Lily story. Tell me what you think!**

**-XloveXconquersXallX**


	4. Chivalrously Yours

**(A/N- Sorry for the long wait! I've been at camp! :-/ Anyways, enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, Dumbledore would go to the hair salon to get his beard deep conditioned and braid it!)**

**Ch. 4- Chivalrously Yours**

Early the next day, Draco Malfoy was woken up by the soft rays of sunlight streaming in from the window. He quickly got out of bed and got dressed. The other boy, Ron Weasley, was still snoring in a fitful slumber. Draco suspected it was because he was worried about Hermione; he had not had a peaceful night of sleep either. As Draco was packing his rucksack, he heard Ron fall out of bed and on to the floor.

Rolling his eyes, Draco turned to him and called out, "Get a move on, Weasley! We leave in fifteen minutes." Ron stumbled into the bathroom to prepare, and Draco moved to stand on the terrace outside of the room. With his hands clasped firmly on the rail, Draco leaned as far out as he could, peering far over the countryside. It was nice outside; the weather was the complete opposite of his emotions. The sun was radiating golden beams of happiness to everyone on the street, but Draco felt none of its warmth. The sky was so clear, so blue. It was too blissful for such a bleak day like this. The clouds were nowhere in sight, just like Hermione.

Not realizing how he had lost track of time, he started when Ron appeared by his side and said, "Get a move on, Malfoy! We leave now!" Draco looked over at him and saw his grim smile. Malfoy quirked an eyebrow, but Ron just shrugged.

"Come on. Let's not waste any time." They nodded solemnly, turned on their heels, and Apparated out of sight.

Appearing just yards away from the wards of the Malfoy Manor, they cast a quick Disillusionment Charm and prowled the perimeter. Mentally, each boy went over the plan they had come up with last night, reassuring themselves that if they would be fine if they followed the plan. Then Draco tapped lightly on Ron's shoulder and pulled him a safe distance away after they had scouted the length they would be entering from. Wordlessly communicating the signal, Ron grabbed onto Malfoy's shirt, and together, they burst through the wards. Once inside, neither dared to breathe, waiting for an alarm to sound or a hoard of Death Eaters to come running with their wands at the ready. Instead, they were greeted with silence. _Father's losing his touch_, Draco thought, but a small voice in his head whispered, _unless this is all a trap._ Shaking his head to tune out the voice, he focused on the positive; at least they could get in and find Hermione without any trouble. The boys ran to the nearest window and peered inside. There was not a person in sight. Lifting the Charm, Draco unlatched the window and slipped through, motioning for Ron to do the same. The rest of their trip to the dungeons was eerily undisturbed. Until they reached the door, of course.

"Looking for this?" They whipped around at this. It was Lucius Malfoy with his signature sneer on his face. Suddenly, the plan didn't seem very reassuring anymore. He was flanked by two other Death Eaters as well as Narcissa Malfoy, his wife and Draco's mum. At his feet was the bruised and bloody body of Hermione, and it wasn't moving. The sight made Draco's heart drop to his stomach and Ron's face turn scarlet. Both boys, however, held their tongue. Draco was unexpectedly reminded of another confrontation at the Manor, only a mere year ago. The thought made him uncomfortable. That was before he was brave enough to dismiss the wrong and embrace the right, before he betrayed his family. That was before he became a better man.

"How predictable, Weasley. Coming to save your dear mudblood? And, oh, what's this? Another blood traitor? Look at you, Draco! Gallivanting in here to save this scum. Tell me, Draco, when did you turn into her knight in shining armor?" Lucius smirked as he asked sardonically. Draco's eyes narrowed as he regarded the elder Malfoy coldly.

"Same time I realized what a fool you were, Father." Lucius' jaw clenched.

"You are no son of mine." The father and son held each other's glares until Narcissa let out a small sob, her heart breaking to see her husband and son at each other's throats. Draco turned to look at his mother. His heart turned heavy when he thought about how he left her with his monster of a father.

"What have you done to Hermione?" Ron suddenly burst out angrily. "Voldemort's not even alive anymore! Why do you need her?"

"Foolish boy!" Lucius turned his stormy gaze to Ron and spoke with a hint of arrogance in his voice. "We knew she would bring us you. And with all his precious friends captured, Harry Potter would have no choice but to come rescue them. And when he does, we'll kill him!" He ended his monologue with a smile, as if he were proud that he had come up with a plot of revenge as clever as this.

"Are you mad? He's not even a threat anymore! The Death Eaters are nothing! Your leader is _dead_! What good is killing Harry going to do?" Lucius narrowed his eyes at the both of them.

"We will avenge the Dark Lord! By continuing his noble work, the Dark Lord will not have died in vain. We will finish what he began! Starting with this mudblood." He gave Hermione's limp figure a firm kick before he fell backwards, knocked back by a Stunning Spell that Ron had cast. The loud crash had alerted the other members of the house, and suddenly, the rumble of footsteps could be heard throughout the Manor. One of the two Death Eaters attempted to curse Ron, but was quickly shot down by Draco as he ran to get Hermione. The other hit Ron with a Cruciatus Curse, knocking the redhead to the ground writhing in pain. But he, too, was _Stupefy_'d by none other than Narcissa Malfoy. Draco picked up Hermione and looked at his mum.

"Draco, my son, you must leave now! Come with me." She bent down to help Ron up, but the other Death Eaters were getting close.

"Mum! Why are you helping us?" At this point, they had already sprinted out the front door.

"I will not watch my only son die before my eyes! Now go!" Draco stopped. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw Ron duck an _Avada Kedavra._

"I won't leave you! Not again! Come with us!" He pleaded with his mother. The rest of the Death Eaters were beginning to spill out the door.

"Go! I'll hold them off! Draco, trust me!" He saw unshed tears glistening in his mother's eyes.

She touched a hand to his cheek and whispered, "I'm so proud of you, Draco. Be safe."

"Oi, we're still in the middle of escaping!" Ron cried, almost at the edge of the wards. Draco turned and ran. With one last look over his shoulder, he saw his mother light a line of fire in between them and the Death Eaters. It wouldn't hold them for long, but it provided enough time for escape. With Hermione in his arms, he spun on his heel and disappeared with the image of the Death Eaters closing in on his mother engraved behind his eyelids.

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**Ah, now that this is over, we can really get to the confusing stuff! I apologize if there wasn't enough action if the escape scene, but I'm not really into writing violence. I hope you liked this chapter! I know the whole "You are no son of mine." is a little over used, but I was just itching to use it(and not because of my bug bites)! Usually, I don't like Lucius. I feel like he's kind of coldhearted. Narcissa, on the other hand, seems like a delightful woman. I think I'd like to have tea with her. Tell me what you think in a review! Until next chapter, my dear readers!**

**-XloveXconquersXallX**


	5. Hauntingly Yours

**(A/N- This took a while... I have a whole explanation at the bottom, so if you really don't care, you can skip it. Anyways, here's the chapter. Read onwards!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, Molly would have chopped off Bill's hair in his sleep.)**

**Ch. 5- Hauntingly Yours**

Landing with a thud, I opened my eyes to see our hotel room. In a pair of strong arms, I felt a sense of security and safety that I only felt from a fair few. It was Draco, I knew. I buried my face into his chest and sighed. We were all safe now. No more torture, no more lies. Softly, I was laid on the bed. Staring into Draco's darkened, steely eyes, I whispered one last thanks. A warm pair of lips touched my forehead, and I fell into restless slumber.

_"_Crucio_!" The pain was all I could think about. It was nearly unbearable. A thousand knives digging slicing into my skin. A burning venom slinking through my veins. Worst of all, the voices that taunted me, haunted me. _

_"You're worthless."_

_"You're nothing."_

_"You're _wrong._"All these words hacked deep into my heart. Especially because I had worked so hard all my life to prove that just because I was muggleborn, I could be just as good as any pureblood. These insults were nothing compared to the persistent hallucinations._

_"You really thought we liked you? You're nothing but scum. I'd rather bathe in hippogriff waste than touch you!" Ginny's blazing chocolate eyes narrowed at me._

_"I could never love you! You're a _mudblood_. At least Lavender knows what a real woman should be like. You had no chance." Ron's spiteful glare and vicious sneer brought tears to my eyes._

_"Stupid mudblood. My father was right. Filth like you shouldn't even be allowed to breathe the same _air_ as me. Get out of my sight." Draco's startling grey eyes stared deep into my soul. But Harry, my best friend, was the feather that broke the camel's back. _

_"You're so dumb, Hermione. Ron and I can't stand you. You know, when you leave for the library, we rejoice to be freed from you. We only kept you around to get our homework done." He threw his head back in a malicious laugh. "The brightest witch of our age? Please, you know nothing at all." He knew all my insecurities. His cold emerald gaze fished them out of me. He knew how to break me. "You are-" A new voice broke in. _

_"Hermionie? Wake up! It's alright! No one can hurt you!"And I woke with a start._

-pagebreak-

While Hermione was sleeping, Draco and Ron helped each other clean up their wounds.

"You'll need to get some rest, Weasley. The Cruciatus Curse can be draining."

"Thanks, Malfoy. And if you ever see your mum again, tell her I owe her one." Draco's jaw clenched. He did not need any reminders about how he abandoned his mother once again. Draco couldn't even imagine the torture she was going though because she had aided a blood traitor. A blood traitor who was also her only son. He turned away from Ron and went to the only place in the suite he could think. Once on the terrace, he set his gaze far out into the open sky feeling tense. Dark storm clouds lingered over the horizon. The impending tempest was not something he looked forward to. It did, however, display the inner turmoil going on through his mind. Fear. Anger. Sadness. All the emotions he felt were a vortex, swirling inside him. This wasn't right. He should feel relieved. Hermione was safe and resting. He escaped his father's clutches relatively unscathed. His father. Even though he was a monster, Draco couldn't pretend to be indifferent to the fact that his only father didn't care anymore. _Not that he ever cared_, he thought. His only memories of his father from when he was a child were those of hatred and punishment. Lucius would hurt him and then leave him to the house elves. While brooding over his miserable childhood, a sudden whisper of his name broke him out of his thoughts. The sound came from Weasley's rucksack. Peering inside, Draco came across a mirror and a pair of startling emerald eyes.

"Potter! What are you doing in this mirror?" Draco hissed, not wanting to wake his sleeping companions.

"Never mind that, Malfoy! It's your mum! We found her stumbling around near Headquarters. She doesn't remember anything, so she can't defend herself against the Order. They want to kill her!" Harry whispered with a tone of urgency. Draco froze.

"I'm on my way." Potter nodded.

"Malfoy, don't bring Ron or Hermione. Your mum's been going on about something big happening. I'll talk to Ron later about looking into it."

"Got it. I'll Apparate outside of Grimmauld Place?"

"Yeah. See you in a minute." And with that the mystifying green orbs disappeared from the sleek, reflective surface of the mirror. Draco looked around. Ron and Hermione were both asleep. _No time to leave a note_, he thought, so he quickly turned on his heel and disappeared.

-pagebreak-

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes were the worried, azure eyes of one Ronald Weasley. My forehead was wet with sweat. I looked up at Ron, still a bit dazed. "What's going on?"

"You don't remember? You were thrashing around the bed like a mad woman! I thought you were having a fit! Merlin, Hermione!" Visions of my nightmare were slowly coming back to me. Just the thought of it made me shiver.

"Sorry, Ron. It was just a bad dream."

"Good. Don't scare me like that, Hermione!" His eyebrows furrowed and his mouth was set in a deep frown.

"I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't mean to." Ron's face softened as he pulled me into him in a hug.

"It's okay, 'Mione. You're safe." We stayed like that a moment before I looked around and realized.

"Where's Draco?" Ron looked taken aback. He looked around with an odd expression on his face, as if he had only just realized the absence of our companion.

"You know, Hermione, I'm not quite sure. He probably just went out for a walk." Ron tried to assure me, though he looked rather uneasy himself.

"Ron! What if the Death Eaters got him again! Oh, this is dreadful! We just got him back!" I stood up and began searching around the room for a certain blonde ferret. Unfortunately for my rapidly beating heart, I did not find him anywhere, so I began to panic.

"Hermione! Calm down! I'm sure he's fine." Ron grasped my hand and turned me around.

"And what if he's not? What then, Ronald? I don't want to find him battered and broken like before!" I shouted at him angrily. _Why is he not upset? I know he and Draco aren't on the best terms, but we're a team!_

"Sh, 'Mione, it'll be okay. He's fine." Breathing heavily, I let Ron pull me into a hug. As he was whispering reassurances, something inside of me snapped as suddenly as the strike of lightning outside the window, and I began to sob. Tears streamed down my face like the rain pouring from the sky. I buried my head into Ron's chest and bawled like baby.

"Ron, we have to find him!" I said through my tears.

"Of course, we will. We'll find him. I promise." He whispered into my hair.

"Okay, I trust you." He kissed my temple.

"We'll look for him soon. Get some sleep." And I did. Who knew all of this emotional trauma could be so taxing?

-pagebreak-

Ron watched as Hermione slept, tucked away into his arms. She looked so peaceful. He tucked her into bed and kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Hermione. Be safe. I can't bear to lose you again." With one last look of longing, Ron made his way over to his rucksack with plenty of things to talk to Harry about.

* * *

**And there it was! Merlin, it took all day! Anyways, for anyone who really cares, I apologize for taking so long. I know it really bothers me when a story I really like isn't updated regularly because I end up forgetting what it's about. So when it is updated, I don't even bother reading it because I would have to read the entire story again. Ah, sorry about that. **

**Does anyone watch the Glee Project? I adore it! Nellie is my favorite contender. Well, she _was_ my favorite contender. When she was eliminated, I cried and lost the will to do anything but obsessively watch her videos on youtube and wistfully think of how it would have been if she made it to Romanticality.. In a nutshell, I just about died inside. Then I was talking to my friend and he was like "Nellie's gone." And I was like.. "Geez, maybe I'm overreacting." So I got working on summer reading again. But THEN Abraham was kicked off, and I was so upset. So I don't even know what to expect tomorrow night. I saw the "We Found Love" music video, but I did not like it at all. First, the song is just so repetitive, I can't even listen to it all the way though. Second, the couples. Like, are you joking? **

**READ HERE- Okay, if I continue this rant, you'll never reach the review button! So tell me what you think! I'm thinking about doing a Draco/Pansy story about their relationship, but another day. I'm pooped. Also, IMPORTANT! I'm putting up a poll for the ending. Go check out my profile and choose which guy you want Hermione to end up with! Thanks!**

**-XloveXconquersXallX**


	6. Help!

Hey, guys! This is not a chapter! I know I said I'd put up a poll for the ending, but I can't figure out how to view the poll. I feel pretty stupid because when I see other authors' polls, there's a lovely banner at the top of the profile! But for me? Nothing. Zip, Zilch, Nada. And I am very upset! If anyone can tell me how to view my poll, PM me or leave it in a review! Or better yet, if you can access the poll, vote! But, if you can't, tell me who you think Hermione should end up with in a review! Thanks!

-XloveXconquersXallX


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